There’s a reason rental car prices have soared. It’s due to a limited supply. How can this be? Well, just like the airlines, most companies have parked much of their fleet. That’s right, they reduce the supply of rental cars, thereby effectively reducing supply while demand remains the same.

So not only are inexpensive rental cars harder to find, the average price of the fleets is increasing as well. This is done to give the companies more profit. If you, as a consumer, don’t have the benefit of a corporate contract to guarantee you the best car rental rates – you might think you’re out of luck. But fear not!

We’ve put together the Best Car Rental Tips to help you get the most value from your car rental dollars.Rental car prices are through the roof these days.

There’s a reason rental car prices have soared. It’s due to a limited supply. How can this be? Well, just like the airlines, most companies have parked much of their fleet. That’s right, they reduce the supply of rental cars, thereby effectively reducing supply while demand remains the same.

So not only are inexpensive rental cars harder to find, the average price of the fleets is increasing as well. This is done to give the companies more profit. If you, as a consumer, don’t have the benefit of a corporate contract to guarantee you the best car rental rates – you might think you’re out of luck. But fear not!

We’ve put together the Best Car Rental Tips to help you get the most value from your car rental dollars.<Tip #1 – Shuttle to Hotel, Save One Day Car Rental Costs

Here’s another of the best car rental tips we know.

If you are arriving at your destination and staying at a hotel near the airport, don’t get your rental car on arrival. Get a free or low-cost shuttle to the hotel. Then, next morning, hop on that same shuttle back to the airport to pick up your rental car.

CAR RENTAL SAVINGS:
You’ll save a full day’s rental on your car. Plus, if you’re heading into the city, it’s quite possible that you will have saved an overnight parking fee for that rental car at the hotel as well. All in all it may take a bit longer – but if you plan for it, this is an excellent car rental savings tip!Tip #2 – Pick Up/Drop Off Rental Cars At The Same Hour

If possible, plan your itinerary so that your rental car pick-up and drop-off times are as close to each other as possible. This prevents the car rental companies from tacking on hourly overage charges. That’s right, you will get charged hourly for the use of the car – when in your mind you are returning it the same day. Now that you know this make sure to read the contract carefully regarding those extra hourly charges!

CAR RENTAL SAVINGS:
Just a few extra hourly charges can soon be equal to a full day’s car rental cost. So this car rental tip alone can save you a bundle.Tip #3 – Use Off-Airport Agency For Lower Car Rental Rates

Off-airport car rental agencies can have lower rates than the car rental agencies at the airports. Here’s how to take advantage of this tip to really save on car rental costs. If you can figure out the logistics it can save a bundle.

To use the off-airport car rental agencies, take the hotel’s airport shuttle to your hotel. Then, the idea is to use an off-airport car rental agency that will pick you up and drop you off at the hotel – and drop you off at the hotel or airport on return. You may have to call around – but the savings can be worth it.

CAR RENTAL SAVINGS:
This tip saves you the famous “concession recovery” fee which means you won’t have to pay their expensive airport concession rent charges. Plus daily rates from non-airport rental agencies are frequently cheaper, too!Tip #4 – Instead of Car Rentals Use Public Transportation

In the U.S., we live in such a car-centric world that we forget about public transportation options when we travel. Instead of thinking car rental first, especially when you are in a major city, check out your public transportation options to get around. At a minimum, this will remove the stress of circling the block endlessly looking for parking spots at the hotel in your rental car.

But when you add on the savings you may be very pleasantly surprised as you compare just a few bucks for public transport vs. $100s for car rental.

Finally – don’t forget to add in the enjoyment factor as you can now travel and look out the window and see things you’d otherwise miss while driving a rental car.

CAR RENTAL SAVINGS:
These savings can be huge – and you escape the car rental trap entirely. Make sure you factor in the cost of parking into your savings over car rentals if you’re traveling to a large city – this will put an extra wide smile on your face!Tip #5 – Get Lower Pre-Negotiated Car Rental Rates

Use sites like HotWire that offer pre-negotiated car rental rates. You won’t earn miles but you will save a bunch.

What’s a pre-negotiated rate? This is when one corporation or group negotiates in advance for a lower rate based on the volume they can generate. A site like HotWire has the clout to do this in the car rental arena – and you can stand to benefit-so don’t miss out.

CAR RENTAL SAVINGS:
The savings on your car rental bill can be in the neighborhood of 20% to 40%.Tip #6 – Get Free Car Rental Insurance

For the more frequent traveler, cards like Diners Club and American Express Rewards cards make perfect sense. Both cards provide automatic insurance coverage for car rentals in the US. Not all other cards provide this. Make sure that you call your credit card company in advance of traveling to see if this holds true for your card.

Next, once you know you have this perk, be aware that rental car employees are taught to ask you if you want this insurance in a variety of ways…trying to sow the seeds of doubt so they can earn these extra insurance dollars. If you are definite that you have insurance to cover any personal injury or damage to the car, you will be able to say confidently - no thanks - and pocket the car rental savings!

CAR RENTAL SAVINGS:
Save from $2 to $5 and up to $9 per day on car rental insurance, depending on the company.

Tip #7 – Beware of Car Rental Coupons

Beware of car rental coupons! There can be lots of strings attached. Unless you comply totally with the rules, these coupon deals can end up costing you way more than expected.

This is especially true on rentals of 1 week. If the coupon says 1 week and you bring the car back on the 5th day, expect to pay a hefty fee. Also avoid coupons from car rental companies that offer an extra 500 miles if you rent from their partner.

Often the rental car coupon promotions give you a much higher price than normal, so always compare the price online. If you take the promo, you’ll likely get charged extra (excise tax) for the “free” miles. (But in the case of extra hotel points for renting a car, the excise tax is absent, so check closely).

CAR RENTAL SAVINGS:
Fees from failure to meet the rules can run $50 or more. On a 1-week rental we’ve saved over $100 by checking promo vs. online prices.

Tip #8 – Rent Instead of Driving Your Own Car

Ah yes… it is time to load the Wagon Queen Family Truckster and head to Wally World! It has been a good car but its size and the current price of gas makes this guzzler from the 80’s a nightmare in this day and age of $4 per gallon gasoline. In fact*, a car of this size costs 92.6 cents per mile to operate and since Wally World is 550 miles away round trip, than means it is going to cost you a minimum of $500 to drive this car.

*(AAA numbers based on $2.60 per gallon in 2009.

Here’s one of the best car rental tips we’ve used. Why not put the wear and tear on a rental car? One week costs for a mid-size car start under $200 and generally with all the taxes and fees end up at no more than $300. It will get a minimum of 25 MPG, meaning that gas for the trip will be $88 based on $4 per gallon with 22 gallons required for the journey. The other thing to remember is with all the major rental companies, you get 24 hour emergency road service, which is a big plus in the comfort factor that is often missing with the family car as it ages. When you add it all up, a rental car is going to run you about half of the operating cost of the old Truckster.

One last thing: with three kids, you might splurge and get one of those fancy vans with the extra seats that turn around and have a table where the kids can play games. And, the final plus… just turn it in and they do the cleaning!

CAR RENTAL SAVINGS:
Car rental savings will vary – but can be substantial.

Tip #9 – Plan For Emergency Car Rentals When Flying

In this car rental tip we’ll show you how to plan in advance to get an emergency car rentals – when you really need one most.

Step one is to keep one piece of paper with all the important info of your trip on it. We use an envelope to keep track of tickets and rental car and hotel confirmation papers for a trip. On the front of the same envelope we list the events and reservation numbers for quick access.

On your flight, hotel, or car rental reservation confirmation write down alternatives. For flights, for example, note alternate routings that you could take – or an alternate airport close to home if you had to be rerouted. Write down flight numbers. For each alternate city, also jot down contingencies such as hotel and rental car options – and include phone numbers of car rental agencies.

It’s a small amount of advance work. But this small bit of work can get you on the phone immediately to get the last available car in an emergency! When the option is waiting for hours or days in an airport and living in limbo this can be a big payoff.

CAR RENTAL SAVINGS:
This simple car rental tip can save you untold hours of misery waiting in and/or sleeping in an airport! This tip is especially useful in the winter and summer - both times when unexpected storms can play havoc with airline schedules. See our next tip for an easy way to collect the phone numbers you’ll need.

Tip #10 – Use Mobile Apps to Price Shop For Car Rentals

Mobile device apps for car rental shopping is a great tip! For the iPhone world you can use free BookingWiz or BookMe apps to compare the best prices fast.

CarRentals.com’s free app also includes information on rental policies and rental locations. There are paid apps that include the locations and phone numbers of all the car rental companies in your geo-location and even dial the number for you so you can call quickly – handy in a weather emergency.

Android and other platforms have similar apps. It’s good to put one on your mobile and get it set up for use before you start your trip. This is a useful way to spend your waiting time in an airport!

CAR RENTAL SAVINGS:
Car rental savings add up quickly to big bucks. Not being held hostage to one car rental company? Priceless.

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Looking for more Travel Deal Tips? Be sure and take a look at our free Travel Buyer's Cheat Sheets – where you'll get everything you need to score deals like a travel pro!